Four year old Buck IV hybrid

mattpatt

Well-Known Member
Kind of excited... four year old Buck IV grown from seed producing catkins for the first time.

The reason I call it a hybrid is because these trees were grown from seed that came off a Buck IV tree but are most likely a cross between a Buck IV and other Buck varieties that were in the area.

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Too bad it looks like it's the only one out of the five that I have that's going to try to flower this year.

Matt


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That is awesome! I wish I could come up with nuts from a Buck IV but they seem hard to come by. I will probably just buck up and buy some trees sometime but I wish they offered just the IVs instead of the package.... Matt, have you ever heard of a source that sells the AU Buck IVs nuts?


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I lucked out and was able to get some nuts from a friend of a friend (told them I wouldn't disclose who I got them from). I received about 30 nuts and was able to get about 15 trees out of it. I have 5 at my house and the rest out at the farm. Several have died because I couldn't keep them watered out in the field. However the ones in my yard are doing pretty good and this is where I noticed the catkins. My hope is that these trees will carry the late dropping gene even though they are not true Buck IVs but are crosses between the Buck IV parent trees and whatever fertilized them. Could have been another Buck IV or possibly even Buck III or Buck IIs that were also in the area. I will know in a few more years if they are late droppers or not. My feeling is that they will be but only time will tell. More then likely there will be a mix of late droppers and some that drop earlier and you won't be able to tell what is what until after you've already got them established in the field. The Buck line of trees are also protected by patents and we have to be careful of what we call these and represent them as being.

Matt


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That is awesome! I wish I could come up with nuts from a Buck IV but they seem hard to come by. I will probably just buck up and buy some trees sometime but I wish they offered just the IVs instead of the package.... Matt, have you ever heard of a source that sells the AU Buck IVs nuts?


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I do not know of anyone selling nuts at this time. I lucked out when I got mine and I doubt I'll be able to do that again.


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That is what I figured... I am after the late drop also so like I said, I will probably have to bite the bullet and buy some..
Thanks
Scott


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I have a chestnut in the backyard that is covered right now. I'm glad the wind is blowing AWAY from the house...lol. I noticed it today when I got home from work. I was out there Sunday cleaning up shoots that grow up around the base of the tree and didn't see any on the tree. Amazing how fast they grow them. I get a few nuts every year, but have to beat the squirrels to them if I want any.
 
DocHolladay

Go to the tree early in the morning when the burs have started to open up. Shake limbs real hard. Some folks like to put plastic down first.

If you time it right when you shake the limb, nuts and burs will drop. Collect them right then. Wait a few days and do it again.

You will beat the squirrels. If a bur has two or three chestnuts in it that adds up fast.

Myself, I don't shake limbs because I have located so many trees that I collect from.

Wayne
 
That is what I figured... I am after the late drop also so like I said, I will probably have to bite the bullet and buy some..
Thanks
Scott


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I've considered buying the package from The Wildlife Group (which I assume is the one you're talking about as well) just I know what I'm getting and can have some "parent" trees to collect nuts from. However I wasn't 100% sure that chestnuts would live in my area and didn't want to spend the money. Now that I know they can make it I will probably bite the bullet and order the package. It really is the only way to know for sure what you are getting. Once you have established trees with known drop times then it's relatively easy to make sure those traits pass on.

Matt


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You don't have to buy a package if you just want individual trees. Call and talk to Allen...he will get you what you want.
 
Chuck, did just that and got a buck 3 and 4 I believe. They bloomed this year, but at a whopping 8" tall we would pinch back any burs if they tried to set. The main thing is, while they're short, they have a good deep green color and they're living!

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I've considered buying the package from The Wildlife Group (which I assume is the one you're talking about as well) just I know what I'm getting and can have some "parent" trees to collect nuts from. However I wasn't 100% sure that chestnuts would live in my area and didn't want to spend the money. Now that I know they can make it I will probably bite the bullet and order the package. It really is the only way to know for sure what you are getting. Once you have established trees with known drop times then it's relatively easy to make sure those traits pass on.

Matt


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How much are the AU packages and what do you get? I can't find a price list for the AU buck chestnuts on their website.
 
DocHolladay

Go to the tree early in the morning when the burs have started to open up. Shake limbs real hard. Some folks like to put plastic down first.

If you time it right when you shake the limb, nuts and burs will drop. Collect them right then. Wait a few days and do it again.

You will beat the squirrels. If a bur has two or three chestnuts in it that adds up fast.

Myself, I don't shake limbs because I have located so many trees that I collect from.

Wayne
I am 43 and that tree has been in the backyard as long as I can remember. We rarely get 2 chestnuts. It is usually a big one and a flat, small one. I'm not going to shake the tree either. Let the squirrels have them. Maybe my neighbors all have chestnuts in their backyards now. I don't even know what kind of chestnut it is. I'll take a pic and post pics later today.
 
All of my AU Buck chesnuts ultimately died above the graft. I had 4, and then Allen replaced one the next year, but 3 years out, all are dead. They sprouted from below the graft, not sure what the rootstock was.
 
Wanted to update this thread. This is the same tree as of two days ago. None of the catkins resulted in burs this year but the tree has put on some awesome growth.

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I'm sure you already know this, but in case others reading don't: the catkins will never result in burs. They are the male structure. Burs will develop from little white female flowers.
 
I understand the Buck IV’s are grafted trees on Chinese Roots? Would chestnuts produced off a grafted tree such as the Buck IV resort back to the original Chinese Chestnut or take on characteristics of the grafted Buck IV Chestnut?
I saw where the wildlife group was selling seedlings from Buck III & Buck IV trees in 1 gal pots.. 10 trees for around $13 a piece
https://www.wildlifegroup.com/store/chestnuts-au-buck-seedlings/
 
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Couldn’t take it anymore. Went ahead and placed an order with the wildlife group for the BuckIII/IV seedlings, even though I have no place to really plant them. Hopefully they take on the traits of their parent trees and drop in the November time frame. I also have a dozen Dunstan Cheatnuts already planted and producing so these should add some Chestnut diversity
 
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